Last semester, Associated Students, Inc. President John Haberstroh spent most of his time trying to get students to vote for him in the next ASI election.
This semester, however, he’s asking students to vote in a different election.
Haberstroh was one of many speakers who kicked off ASI’s “49er’s Vote” campaign that aims to register 4,900 students for the Nov. 6 election.
“That comes out to just under 15 percent of the school population,” Haberstroh said. “So it’s quite an ambitious goal, but I’m optimistic that we can achieve it.”
The event included speeches from Long Beach Mayor Bob Foster, State Assembly Members Ricardo Lara (D-Bell Gardens) and Bonnie Lowenthal (D-Long Beach), which took place at the Speaker’s Platform from noon to 1 p.m.
“I’m asking you to think beyond just this election,” Foster said during his speech. “Think to the next eight, nine, ten elections that will really change the face of this country, will shape this country and will say a lot about the character of our society in the future.”
Haberstroh and President F. King Alexander also discussed Proposition 30, which they said is critical to the CSU system.
“If Prop. 30 does not pass, the CSU will automatically be hit with a $250 million budget cut, and that will equate to about $21 million for this campus alone,” Haberstroh said. “$21 million dollars is basically the equivalent of shutting down the College of Liberal Arts … It’s like having a gun to our heads.”
Alexander also described the budget cut as “another blow” to the CSU.
“It means that the CSU will have taken a 39 percent reduction over the last two years,” Alexander said. “One of the largest, if not the largest, reductions in the United States. This is what’s at stake … your educational services, the class sizes you have, the number of classes that are offered, your tuition and fees for next year.”
Lowenthal said voting gives students control and stressed the need to reach out to as many people as possible to get them to vote.
Alexander also advised students to encourage at least five of their friends to vote.
“Imagine if 435,000 CSU students voted instead of the lower numbers that we have,” he said. “You’d have all the politicians coming through the campus as they’re not right now because they don’t put faith in your numbers. Show up and vote. Make the politicians understand the weight that you carry.”
As part of the “49er’s Vote” campaign, ASI will be hosting voter registration tables across campus several times leading up to Oct. 22, which is the last day to register to vote in the Nov. 6 election. Students will also be able to cast their vote at the University Student Union on Election Day.
Freshman anthropology major Diane Mendoza said the convenience of an on campus voting booth will likely encourage more students to take the time to cast a ballot.
“I think it’s very convenient, because you can do it between classes, and it gives students no excuse not to vote,” Mendoza said.